[Big Josh]

Do any of you all have any certain formulas or programs you use for bidding out maintenance contracts? I am looking at starting to open up my own company. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have done most of the bidding for the company I am with and the companies I have been with. Just seems a bit harder actually doing it to make profit for myself.

[cutntrim]

It shouldn't be that much different than coming up with pricing for your old company. You will have to adjust overhead, and productivity for your own new company, but the process should be the same as you've been doing.

[SodSquad]

Hello, i was wondering if you ever figured out a good formula for bidding out the maintenance jobs? I'm thinking about starting to get into the maintenance and am wondering how to estimate it.

Thanks

Matthew Swirsky

[cutntrim]

Maintenance is all about repetition. You'll be repeating the same tasks week-to-week all season-long. If you underestimate on an install job, you'll learn quickly and adjust your pricing for the next job of a similar type that comes down the pipe. On maintenance however, if you underestimate you'll pay for it all year long.

I could sit here and type out an essay on how to estimate for maintenance, but instead I'll recommend that you pick up a book this winter and give it a read. The book is called, "How to start a Home Based Landscaping Business" and it's written by Owen E. Dell. Order it from www.chapters.ca if you can't find it in store.
It's all about the business side of landscaping (maintenance and installation) and assumes you already know to plant sod 'green side up'.

As far as quick formulas for maintenance, no I don't really follow any. The services may be the same, but the properties are all different. Sure, there are rule of thumb formulas such as 1yd of mulch will cover 100sq.ft. at a 3" depth, but there's a big difference in how long it will take to spread that mulch in an easily accessible front yard bed, compared to one way in the backyard down a steep slope through a small gate.

[syzer]

There aren't any formulas that I know of, its all about production times, and your costs, added profit, etc.

What you should do is establish a base production #, then you go out and measure a property and base the bid on that. You have say 10 shrubs size "A" and 5 size "B", 100 feet of edging, 15 trees to trim, 400 feet of trimming, and 53000 sqft of turf. Then you go to your production #'s and say ok, I can do a size A shrub this fast, a B this fast, and mow this much land per hour.

Don't forget to take into account terrain difficult, such as trees you have to mow around (they add up), and slopes, etc.

I would strongly suggest you bring a consultant in if you are serious even before you begin the business! It will give you a great road to follow, and set it up right from the beginning.

Good luck!

[syzer]

Dont forget it costs you money for your truck to sit on that property as well. Also, policing the grounds when you get there.

Then you add your wanted profit ontop of that =). There is more to it, but thats the gist.